Ornamental chain



Oct. 8, 1940. w. F. HESS ORNAMENTAL CHAIN Filed March 14, 1938 BYfl/ INYENgkQ Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES ORNAMENTAL CHAIN William F. Hess, Pawtucket, R. I., assignor to Armbrust Chain Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application March 14, 1938, Serial No. 195,699

4 Claims.

M present invention relates to the manufacture of jewelry and has particular reference to a novel construction of ornamental band or chain and a novel method of manufacture and assembly.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an ornamental flexible chain which is economical to manufacture and assemble and which will eliminate the use of individual connecting links.

An additional object of my invention is to provide an ornamental chain, the parts of which can be readily stamped out of sheet metal and assembled into a flexible chain.

A further object of my invention is to provide an ornamental Wrist chain which will resist normal strains and pulls and which cannot be easily broken or separated.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ornamental chain having the aforementioned characteristics which can be ornamented, plated, or colored to present a pleasing appearance to the eye.

With the above objects and other advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel method of assembly and a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a segment of a chain embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a metallic stamping for making one link therefor;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a link blank ready for assembly;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of two links showing the method of joinder, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same links joined, one of the links being completely finished.

Referring more in detail to the drawing illustrating my invention, the chain 8 illustrated in Fig. l is made of a plurality of separate links 9 hingedly connected together. The numeral l0 generall designates a sheet metal stamping of any suitable metal such as brass for forming a link in the chain in the present invention, the stamping being preferably rectangular in shape and provided with two spaced rectangular slots II in the center thereof arranged parallel with the longitudinal side edges. Protruding from one of the longitudinal sides of the stamping and in a same plane with the surface thereof, are spaced lugs 12 which are spaced the same distance apart as the slots H and are of the same width as the slots 'll. Each of the lugs I'2 has a V-shaped cut-out portion I3 forming two spaced tapered fingers M. I

The stamping Ill can be formed by any suitable means such as stamping from sheet stock or, in a case of softer metals such as gold, silver or platinum, can be formed by hand.

The stamping is subjected to a further operation designed to shape it, as shown in Fig. 3. Each longitudinal half H: of the stamping on either side of the slots ll is shaped to form a concave trough l6 which, on the reverse side, present the appearance of a semi-cylinder. The troughs it are so formed that a narrow rectangular portion ll of the stamping, which includes the slots H, remains in its original fiattened position; the troughs l6 retain integral end portions l8, whereby a link blank I9 is provided.

EFach individually shaped blank forms a separate link of the chain of the present invention and, as will readily be seen from the manner of assembly hereinafter to be described, no separate 5 connecting links are necessary.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the lugs I4 of one link are slipped into the slots ll of the next link from the cylindrical side of the blank, and. the spaced arms M on the lugs are then spread outwardly. Since the lugs were originally of the same width as the length of the slots H, the outward spread of the arms l4 prevents removal of the lugs and securely joins the two links of the chain together.

The blank [9 into which the lugs of the preceding blank l9 were inserted, is now bent in half, trough to trough, as shown in Fig. 5, to complete the link 9. The outer surface of the link 9 now presents a cylindrical appearance with 40 closed ends formed by the end sections 11. The lugs 14 on each succeeding blank I9 can now be inserted in a similar manner in the end link of the chain assembly and the operation repeated until the chain is of any desired length.

It is thus evident that the chain of the present invention is easy and economical to manufacture, that its parts are readily assembled, that the final product is admirably adapted for its intended purpose and will present a pleasing appearance to the eye, and that the novel chain readily lends itself to both manual or machine assembly.

It can also be readily seen that the described and claimed construction eliminates the use of nated.

While a specific form of link has been described herein, this specific form is merely illustrative and I do not wish to be limited thereby, as it is obvious that the material, shape, size, form and ornamentation of the links can be changed to meet the requirements for difierent chain designs without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the specification and as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A stamping for forming a metallic link comprising a body portion formed of flat sheet stock, said body portion having two spaced longitudi -nallyoaligned slots located midway between the longitudinal edges of said body portion and two spaced laterally extending lugs integral with one of the longitudinal edges of said body portion, the spacing of said lugs being equal to the spacing of said slots.

,2. An ornamental blank adapted to be incorporated into a flexible metallic chain, compris ing an ornamental body portion having spaced parallel complementary portions each forming half of a hollow tube and integrally joined by an elongated portion having a slot, one longitudinal edge of said body portion hav'mg an integral laterally extending lug, said lug being of equal width to the length of said slot.

3. An ornamental blank adapted to be incorporated into a flexible metallicchain, comprisingan ornamental body portion having spaced parallel complementary portions each forming half of a hollow tube and integrally joined by an elongated portion having spaced slots, one longitudinal edge of said body portion having integral laterally extending spaced lugs, the spacing on said lugs being complementary to the spacing on said slots.

4. The method of forming an ornamental metallic flexible chain having no separate connecting links and comprised of links each having ornamental portions, an integral connector, and a connector retainer portion,.including the stepsof inserting the connector of one link into the retaining portion of the adjacent link, displacing the ends of said connector to prevent Withdrawal from said retaining portion, and folding the ornamental portions over the displaced connector and the retaining portion to completely conceal the engaged parts.

WILLIAM F. HESS. 

